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Israel's internal security agency, Shin Bet, sought unrestricted access to a database of facial images collected at airports and border crossings despite lacking legal authorization to do so, Haaretz reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to Haaretz, Shin Bet Director David Zini and his staff sought access to the images to help identify suspects at crime scenes, as part of an effort to expand the agency's role in fighting crime.
Under current Israeli law, only the Population and Immigration Authority is permitted to access the facial recognition and biometric photo database maintained at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and other border crossings.
The law requires that personal information and photographs of those passing through airports and border crossings be deleted within 90 days, and prohibits sharing the data with third parties, including security agencies.
Haaretz reported that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara told Zini that any Shin Bet access to the database would require a change in the law.
According to Haaretz, after Baharav-Miara rejected the request behind closed doors, Zini privately blamed her for the country's rising crime rate.
Responding to the report, Shin Bet officials said: "The information arising from the report is baseless and does not align with reality."
The Shin Bet's request to retain citizens' images was first reported by Israel Hayom.
According to Haaretz, Shin Bet already has access to photographs of Israeli citizens held in the Interior Ministry and police databases, though those records are not always current.
The Population and Immigration Authority's database, known as "Rotem," contains more current images that would allow Shin Bet and other agencies to use facial recognition technology and match them against other photographs, according to the report.
Haaretz reported that a 2022 report by Israel's Biometric Applications Unit, which oversees the country's biometric databases, found that the Population Authority had continued storing lower-quality images beyond the legally mandated 90-day period and had transferred them to Shin Bet without authorization.
Following a lawsuit, the authority reached an agreement in 2024 that included a proposed legal amendment, which Haaretz reported has not advanced in the Knesset.
A legal source told Haaretz that lawmakers had not advanced the bill because "it was important for them to pass other things."
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